

We often view losing our teeth as a side effect of getting older so this dream could also reflect a fear of aging.

How you define nourishment could be literal-Is food security weighing on your mind?-or more metaphorical, as in, Do you feel like your wellbeing is being fed? 5. Literally speaking, “we need our teeth to get food,” says Barrett. Your dreams of teeth might be related to how you're feeling about nourishment and your access to it. Maybe you moved back in with your parents over lockdown-losing your teeth in a dream could be your mind processing your feelings about being back in your childhood bedroom.

If you're thinking about the tooth fairy after a teeth dream, Barrett suggests thinking about any similarities or relation to what's happening in your life today vs. “Someone might associate losing their teeth to childhood and the tooth fairy,” she says. If you're going to branch out into interpretation, Barrett suggests you start with figuring out what the main elements in the dream are and how you feel about them. If your latest dream about a mouth sans those pearly whites paid a visit over the last few weeks, it could be your mind and body continuing to process what has been a year like no other. “Clenching the teeth when facing negative situations is a common reaction, and that can carry over to episodes of sleep bruxism,” according to the Sleep Foundation, "teeth grinding is also believed to be connected to higher levels of anxiety." When we're experiencing strain in our mental health, our bodies will often send out a signal as a response. Unsurprisingly, the culprit behind these uncomfortable types of dreams is our fave duo: stress and anxiety. Unlike regular teeth grinding which happens nonstop, sleep bruxism takes place on and off and can lead to waking up with a sore neck and jaw.

A recent study published in 2018 looking at the correlation between teeth tension and having a dental dream found that those experiencing sleep bruxism-a sleep disorder that causes people to experience episodes of teeth grinding while they sleep-did in fact have more toothy night visions. When it comes to dreams about teeth, many point to dental irritation. Here's what your teeth falling out dreams might mean.
